


Sneaky

by Pixel_Runner



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-05
Updated: 2017-11-05
Packaged: 2019-01-29 17:21:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12635640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pixel_Runner/pseuds/Pixel_Runner
Summary: With apologies, J, I only had a few minutes while waiting for my bus.  I'm posting this for now and will try to get a second part up later.





	Sneaky

Winch was being sneaky.  This was a problem because he wasn’t inherently good at it.  Winch was a straightforward guy.  If you were on his crew and doing a good job.  He told you, often with a hearty clap on the back.  And while he tried to adjust the amount of force he used, it had resulted in enough people being knocked off their feet that Amelia had insisted he stop for all crew members a foot or more shorter than him.

 

If he didn’t approve of your behavior, he explained why in a clear, calm voice.  If the behavior did not improve, you mysteriously got left behind on the next shore leave.

 

If he really didn’t approve of your behaviour, he didn’t bother with warnings.

 

But Bo had taken him aside last week and explained At Length the need for subterfuge.  Winch had been incredibly suspicious.  Bo brought in Dave, who also assured Winch that this was A Good Thing.  Winch hadn’t said anything. He simply crossed his arms and frowned.  Dave brought in the Doc, who frowned right back at Winch and called Yondu.

 

Yondu had rolled his eyes and said, “Look, I can’t be dealing with this just now, Princess is napping.  Winch, just do what Amelia says.  That’s an order.”

 

Amelia had smiled and rubbed Yondu’s belly and told Winch he needed to hide the fuel flanges.  Winch did not approve, but he was under orders now and there was no point taking up the inventory matter with the Quartermaster.  Tullk was never going to not side with Amelia.

 

\----

 

“Where the flark are the goldarn fuel flanges?” Kraglin was pissed.  “Quill cracked another one in the asteroid belt and I need to replace it.”

 

Winch just looked at the ground and shrugged.  “They do not seem to be available.” This seemed accurate enough.

 

Kraglin growled and started kicking things.  Quill made himself scarce.  

 

Jai shrugged.  “I can always just repair the one you got.  Seems a waste to keep chuckin’ em out all the time.  They are a pain in the teeth to weld, but it is all time and not much effort.  I got time.”

 

Kraglin ran his hands over his head, leaving caustic streaks along each temple.  “Fine!  Just…. Fine.  Thank you.  I need it by end of day.”

 

Jai nodded amicably.

 

Winch went back to work.  The quality of the crew had improved since The Boss got himself a mate.  And the quality of the cussing had degraded since Princess made her appearance on the ship.

 

\----

 

“Did it work?”

 

“I think so.  Just bring those cases in through the emergency dock.”

 

\----

 

Jai stood up and cracked the joints in his back, then the knuckles in each hand, then his shoulders.  He was getting creaky in his old age.  He ran his fingers through his beard and looked over at Bo, who was working on a new project with Tak.  Between the two of them, the Clan was quickly reaching the point where they could out gun everyone smaller than Nova Corp.

 

Bo caught him watching and nodded.  At that Tak looked up and waved shyly.  The three siblings stuck together pretty tight.  And if Jai had some suspicions about them not actually being siblings, he knew how to keep them to himself.

 

He waved back.  They were friendly enough.  Fun to share a beer with after work anyway.  He adjusted his lenses and went back to work.

 

\----

 

Bo made eye contact with Tak and tried not to grin.  That wouldn’t be helpful just now.

 

\----

 

Jai finished the fuel flange and cleaned the flux off.  Then he ran it over the buffing wheel to smooth out the welds and dropped the whole thing in the sealant bath.  He tracked down Kraglin and helped install it.  Once again, not hard, just painstaking.  Get it wrong and the ship could explode after take off.

 

Kraglin hummed as he worked.  Jai understood this was Quill’s fault.  He had started doing it too.  It was a thing the clan did.  He personally liked the Ooga-chucka song.

 

When they were done, Winch came over and looked at the finished product.  He nodded and clapped Jai on the back.  “Well done.”

 

Kraglin nodded.  “Go get cleaned up, then we have a crack on the sound dampers on 29th floor that I wanna talk to you about repair options.”

 

Jai shrugged.  “I can just go now.  No point getting cleaned up if I’m only gonna get dirty again.”

 

Kraglin shook his head.  “It ain’t a today project.  No point being uncomfortable in grubby clothes.”

 

Jai nodded.  His room had a shower.  He hadn’t started with one, but Winch had given him a promotion a couple of months ago.  He as the best welder in the place.  It only made sense for him to run the welding crew.  Operations this size always needed something.

 

Clean up, put on new uniform.  That had been a bit of discussion, but he had fast talked Winch into letting him take the sleeves off.  Any sparks that hit him barely made it through his scales.  It was better not to have anything that could get caught in the equipment that to have whatever slight protection the sleeves could over.

 

Let’s see, 29th floor behind the sound dampers.  That should be right over there, just through that door.  Jai opened the door and turned on the lights.

 

“Surprise!  Happy Birthday, Jai!”

 

 


End file.
